Christmas Greetings everyone!  Well I don't know about you guys, but I've been so busy shopping for Christmas gifts that I haven't gotten to the cookie-making yet!  But I came across a yummy-sounding gingerbread cookie recipe that I am going to try and will be sharing soon.   
I am having a hard time accepting the fact that I have had to not only cut gluten from my diet, but the dairy as well.  When you eat something all of your life and then suddenly have to totally delete it from your diet, IT'S HARD!  I learned that I cannot even have a little bit of shredded cheese on my salad without suffering the consequences :(  I came across some dairy-free cheese at my local natural foods store called "daiya".  It is tapioca-based, and not bad!  It actually melts too!  If you go in expecting it to taste exactly like dairy cheese though, you might be disappointed.  I've learned that if you are going to try alternatives to traditional foods, you can't dive in with the mind set that it's going to taste EXACTLY like the traditional version!  Back to the salad issue though.  Bringing a baggie of my shredded "daiya" around with me whenever I go to a restaurant is not a feasible task, so perhaps next time I should just ask for something like more tomatoes instead.  
So maybe it's time to go through a "mourning process" about the fact that I can't have dairy any more.  Anybody out there that has had to deal with these issues for a long time, I would LOVE to hear about any of your ideas or tips as to how to handle this issue with the best of ease!  Let's be supportive of one another :)

Until next time,
CHRISTmas blessings to you all!
Gina